


The Start of Something New

by relictionism (orphan_account)



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Canon-Compliant, Flirting Boys, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Pining, akeshu - Freeform, shuake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-08-11 11:17:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20152720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/relictionism
Summary: A take on how Akira eventually got Goro Akechi's number.





	The Start of Something New

Goro sighed, sitting back against the comfy chair situated at the end of the bar. The café Sae had recommended to him was quaint, _quiet_— Something he very much needed in the hectic midst of his life. Some good coffee and a nice place tucked away in the backstreets was exactly what he needed, along with good company.

And good company, was what he was with.

The boy was almost as tall as he, with a curly mess of black hair sitting atop his head and large glasses to frame his (already-handsome) features. Around his neck hung a green apron, and in his hands, a carafe from which he poured more coffee into Goro's cup.  
Goro had met him earlier in the month, just two weeks ago at a TV station. He was quiet (certainly fitting the cafe he worked in) but his coffee was delicious. Aside from that, he was a good listener.

Akira Kurusu was an interesting person— or at least, Goro had a lingering tug in his gut that told him so.

"Do you _al__ways_ give free refills? Is that even allowed?" Goro laughed, his cheek leaning onto gloved knuckles. "I'm certainly not one to complain, though. You make good coffee."

And that wasn't his camera-ready smile on his cheeks. As he gazed up at Kurusu, his grin was genuine and warm. Kurusu would only, silently, return it in kind as a response.

It was strange, but as Goro once more tipped the coffee cup up on his lips, he had the chance to really analyse the _situation_ he'd found himself in: That in regards to Kurusu, and how he'd been acting around the boy.  
Because that was the thing: Goro was never acting when it came to him— not a whole lot, at least.

Goro somehow always found himself at ease whenever he was in Kurusu's presence.  
Whenever they were together, there was less of a tenseness in his shoulders, less of a strain in his voice. He was always relaxed, felt like he didn't need to slip on a mask to impress the other.

And though that were the case, he still wouldn't be as careless as to let his tongue speak of things forbidden. He could be at ease just a bit more though: more than when he was with a camera crew or surrounded by policemen and politicians.

_Ah_, he'd finished his third cup of coffee already. He hadn't noticed in the midst of all his ruminating.  
Goro set his cup back on its saucer then. He gathered his briefcase, took one glance at Kurusu, before leaving money beside the cup and standing up.

"You're leaving already?" Kurusu asked, and Goro found himself smiling a bit at that deep voice he only so occasionally had the pleasure of hearing. He nodded, giving a once-over to his wristwatch.

"I really must be getting back. Though I'm a detective, I still have to study as a student."

Goro didn't miss the slight widen of those big, black eyes, the smallest bit those lips tightening into a line.

"Oh, if that's the case, be careful, okay? There might be another train crash incident."

And Goro found himself giving a small chuckle. That, too, was something of a new thing for him— Laughing, without _thinking_ about laughing, became less of a rare occurrence since meeting the boy. Goro could even admit that it was more genuine now.

"I'll do my best, then. I enjoyed the coffee and the company, Kurusu. Thank you."

A beat of silence passed, in which Goro stood a few paces from the exit with his briefcase in one hand and with his eyes on Kurusu; Kurusu—who situated himself behind the bar—looked back and met Goro's stare, holding his gaze. It'd been a few weeks since he began being something as close to a friend that Goro has ever gotten, and somehow, Goro got the feeling that they contemplated asking the same question behind each other's eyes as they stared at one another.

"I like talking to you," came Kurusu's voice, finally, after a few seconds had passed, "I wish I could talk to you _more_, though."

"I feel the same," Goro hummed, his free hand curling its index finger and thumb around his chin as he closed both eyes, "Free time is hard to come by these days, what with the case of the Phantom Thieves being handed to me. I must do my best to solve the mystery of how they _steal hearts_, after all, curious as a case they are."

But he already had a sneaking suspicion. When the group mentioned _changing __hearts_, and being able to make one flip their views and opinions almost overnight, it might've been _possible_, but..

Goro shouldn't be thinking about work when he was with a friend.

"You'll figure it out. Might be hard, though. No one has any idea how they do it."

Goro peered open one eye, smile turning into a smirk.

"Don't doubt my abilities, Kurusu," he teased— and that was something Goro could do now. _Teasing a friend._

"I'm not!" Ah, Goro managed to pull a grin out of him. "I'm just _saying_, they're a pretty mysterious group— and I still believe in what I said during your interview, too. They're doing the right thing."

"And that's the most i've heard out of _you_ all evening," Goro laughed, "You have such an interesting perspective on them.. And as much as I'd like to discuss about the Phantom Thieves with you all night, I _really_ have to go now."

And Goro would purse his lips first, before continuing with, "_But_.."

He took a few steps closer to Kurusu then, his smile growing wider and wider. He stopped at the bar, setting his briefcase on the chair beside him, before he looked into the glassy black of Kurusu's eyes, his own bearing a sheen of.. _something_.. he'd never quite experienced before.  
The rapid pump of his heart felt different from the excitement he felt going through a crime scene, or with each step along his plans he made. The shake his bones felt was akin to nervousness, but Goro wasn't nervous about this. Not at _all_.

Because lying to one's self was better than outright saying you _were_ nervous as all Hell out of your mind.

"But I _do_ have a phone."

Goro let the implication hang in the air for a bit, and Kurusu seemed quick to exploit it.  
There was a glint in those eyes that stared back at Goro, a little bit of something _confident_ and _wild_ seeping into them as Kurusu took a napkin and a pen from somewhere behind the bar.

Goro watched in piqued interest as Kurusu scribbled something onto the paper, and as he held it up between his index and middle fingers, he looked to Goro with a new expression Goro had seen for the first time on him— like (dare he say) something _flirtatious_.

His suspicions were confirmed when Kurusu beckoned for Goro to come closer— and, wanting to _play fair_, Goro would only lean onto the bar on his elbows, gaze up at the boy almost _suggestively_.

"Here."

And he'd only stiffen for just a _second_ when Kurusu, too, settled low to eye-level with him, before his hand slithered to Goro's breast pocket and he slid the napkin into it.

Goro couldn't fight the tinge of pink on his cheeks, though he _could_ play it off as coolly as he could when he'd simply give Kurusu a smile before settling back upright.

"My contact info," Kurusu said simply, and the smirk he wore mirrored the one Goro had earlier, "Don't forget to message me so I can save _yours_."

And after a nod and another, more stuttered "_thanks_", Goro stumbled out of the café. He could practically _feel_ every fold of leather on his hand with how hard he gripped his briefcase, heart racing as he made his way out of the backstreets, to the station, and all the way back to his mostly empty, dreary apartment.

That didn't bother him as much as the fingers that ghosted over his chest though, or that steel gaze his mind's eye could remember every single _detail_ of.

Once settled into his bedroom, Goro would finally bring himself to look at the napkin Kurusu had stuffed into his pocket— and all he could do to suppress a sputter was to bite down onto his bottom lip as he re-read the message over and over, eyes scanning each word as if there were a hidden message between the lines.

Because on the piece of napkin Kurusu had given him, was written not only his name and number, but also,

_i'd risk getting caught giving free refills for a tall glass of water like you. ;) _  
_come to the café whenever you want. i'll be waiting. _

**Author's Note:**

> phone notes fic i whipped up in an hour bc ya girl is blueballed writing-wise  
like a u g h i wanna write m&m so much but school n shit is getting in the way 
> 
> plus i n e e d e d to get this idea outta my head omg soft flirting boys are forever  
p5r is giving me my shuake rights bless 
> 
> (no listen list bc,,, phone notes fic lmao)


End file.
